STRYPER: To Hell With The Amps
Stryper Un-Amped … Almost
All-acoustic releases or performances became popular in the early ‘90’s. Having traversed the decade of the ‘80’s where the goal seemed to concentrate on how best to ramp the amps to the max, it just seemed like someone – or some band – would eventually pull back the reigns and say, “How can we do more with less?”
Interestingly, all the greats (Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Neil Young, Eric Clapton) toyed with “acoustic tracks” in the ‘70’s but few went out on the limb and punched out an entire album “unplugged.” And while Clapton’s 1992 Unplugged is often cited as the best-selling album of its type of all time, my earliest recollection of an amazing effort in this area was Tesla’s Five Man Acoustical Jam at the infamous Trocadéro Theatre in Philadelphia (1990).
Clapton surely followed, his style of rock well-suited to the unplugged variant, but other noteworthy artists like Mariah Carey, Nirvana and Alice in Chains fueled the trend through MTV’s then popular/now iconic Unplugged segments.
Naturally, it should come as no surprise that Stryper – a product of the ‘80’s rock/metal revolution – should eventually follow suit and craft an “all acoustic” release. My initial thought was, “What took so long?” because their often-balladic songs are well-suited to the style. Oh well, better late than never.
Consequentially, it should be noted that To Hell with the Amps (aptly titled) is not an all-acoustic release, because those drums (and that bass for that matter) are amped. This is not a live performance, nor is it a bootleg quality master. These songs were professionally recorded/mixed/mastered (Danny Bernini/Alex Saltz) in the same manner fans have come to expect from a band as iconic as Stryper. Therefore, these songs are equally enjoyable across the entire volume spectrum. Crank it up to 11 because these guitars sound so good.
As to the setlist, there are some predictable inclusions like “Calling on You” and “Honestly” and of course “Always There for You.” And then there are the “how cool would this sound unplugged” songs like “Soldiers Under Command,” “Loud ‘N Clear” and “No More Hell to Pay.”
There is some great guitar play here, the unplugged environment allowing for a different kind of expressive soloing which is evident on most of the songs.
For me, though, the biggest surprises here are the inclusion of “Lady” (a true ballad) and the rocker “All for One” from the much maligned Against the Law album, which for me is one of the best albums the band ever created. I know the band has stated at times they regret that album, but the songs were all incredibly strong, and have held up well over time. So, these acoustic versions are no less impressive.
If you are a fan of Stryper this long-overdue independently released “unplugged” semi-amp-less collection of songs is easily embraced. The tri-fold wallet digi format with included lyrics fold-out sheet is nicely put together. This also has been released in collectible cassette format. The only negative from my perspective is that the set list is way too short!
Track Listing:
1. You Know What to Do (4:57)
2. Soldiers Under Command (4:50)
3. No More Hell to Pay (4:53)
4. Make You Mine (3:49)
5. Loud & Clear (3:50)
6. Lady (4:48)
7. Honestly (4:26)
8. Calling on You (4:08)
9. Amazing Grace (4:49)
10. Always There for You (4:10)
11. All for One (4:37)
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